Kite construction



May 10, 1966 R. s. HALL KITE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 23, 1964 INVENTOR.

RUSSELL S. HALL United States Patent 3,250,500 KITE CONSTRUCTION Russell S. Hall, 7725 Clarendon Road, Indianapolis, Ind. Filed Mar. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 353,833

Claims. (Cl. 244-153) The present invention relates to a kite.

Most persons are familiar with the difiiculty of keeping a conventional kite in the air. A tail must be attached to the kite and depending upon the wind conditions, the tail must be lengthened or shortened. In order to provide better flying characteristics in kites, it is desirable that kites be provided with a more eflicient aerodynamic shape. An important object of the present invention is to provide a kite having a more eihcient aerodynamic shape than conventional kites.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a kite which has a greater tendency to fly straight up or overhead of the place of mooring whereby advertising slogans and the like can be effectively displayed by the kite.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a kite which, because of its more eflicient flying characteristics, is well suited to being flown in a light breeze as well as in a strong wind thus achieving an all-season kite.

Related objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds. One embodiment of the present invention might include a kite comprising a frame with a mid rib and a cross arm connected centrally thereof to said mid rib. A sail having a generally triangular shape has two edges of the triangular shape secured respectively between one end of the mid rib and the ends of the cross arm. The sail has itsthird edge generally aligned with the cross arm and the sail is cupped on opposite sides of the mid rib to form a pair of generally part-conical shapes, the apictx of which are at the one end of said mid rib.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a kite embodying the present invention and showing the kite in flight.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of the kite but showing more of the top side of the kite.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the kite of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the kite of FIGS. l-3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged section taken along the line 55 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 6 is a view similar'to FIGS. 1 and 2 of a further embodiment of the kite of the present invention.

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawing and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is illustrated a kite 10 including a mid rib 11 and a cross arm 12. The cross arm 12 is suitably secured to the mid rib by a rubber band 15 or other suitable means which maintains the cross arm at a location spaced toward one end 16 of the mid rib. The cross arm, however, is centered relative to the mid rib or, in other words, the center of the cross arm is secured to the mid rib.

Mounted upon the cross arm and mid rib which make up the frame of the kite is a sail 20. The sail 20 has a generally triangular shape with two edges 21 and 22 secured to strings 25 and 26. Each of the strings 25 and 26 is taut and extends between the end 27 of the mid rib and a respective end 30 or 31 of the cross arm. The sail 20, when the kite is in flight, occupies a generally triangular shaped space, that is, the trace of the edge 42 (FIG. 3) of the sail in a plane which includes points 16, 27, 3 and 31 is substantially rectilinear. In cutting the sail from a sheet of flexible plastic material, the sail margin 42 is cut, not rectilinearly, but generally convexly and peaked slightly at the center of margin or edge 42 to provide the rectilinear trace mentioned above when the sail is in flight position. In flight, as shown for example in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sail It) has a fullness or a width between the strings 21 and 22 which is greater than the distance between said strings 21 and 22 so that the sail cups on opposite sides of the mid rib to form a pair of generally part-conical shapes 35, the apices of which are at the end 27 of the mid rib. It can be appreciated that the end 27 of the mid rib will point toward the direction from which the wind is blowing so that air will flow through the part-conical shapes from the small end to the large end thereof thus lifting the kite.

Persons skilled in the art will recognize that the partconical surfaces presented to the wind form an airfoillike shape having an essentially parabolic camber along the flight direction and that the high aerodynamic efficiency of the parabolic-cambered airfoil shape thus formed is a source of the superior flying characteristics of the kite of the present invention.

The kite further includes taut strings 36 and 37 extending between the opposite ends of the cross arm 12 and the end 16 of the mid rib. The cross arm 12 is bowed as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 by means of a taut string 40 secured to the opposite ends 30 and 31 of the cross arm 12. The sail 20 is secured around the mid rib at 41 at a point adjacent the center of the edge 42 of the sail, said point also being adjacent the cross arm 12. It will be noted that the edge 42 of the sail is generally aligned with the cross arm 12. A tethering line or string is secured to the kite and branches at 51 to form two branches 52 and 53, the former of which is secured to the mid rib at the connection of the mid rib and the cross arm and the latter of which is secured to the end 27 of the mid rib. The branch 52 may be formed of resilient or rubber material if desired in order to provide a control for gusts of wind. Thus, if a gust of wind occurs from the direction in which the end 27 points, the branch 52 will elongate thus reducing the lift force on the kite and accordingly minimizing the strain on the kite structure and its tethering line. After the gust has passed, branch 52 will contract to restore the pre-existing lifting force.

FIG. 5 shows the manner in which the sail 20 is secured around the line or string 26. The material of which the sail 20 is made may be plastic which is looped around the string and adhered together at 20a.

In FIG. 6, there is illustrated a further embodiment of the invention which is generally identical to that of FIGS. 1-5 except that the cross line or string 40 carries a pair of pennants 41 upon which advertising material may be inscribed. Also a streamer 42 is secured to the end 16 of the mid rib 11. One of the advantages of the kiteof the present invention is the fact that the kite has a greater tendency to fly straight up or directly overhead of the place of mooring. Thus, advertising slogans can be effectively displayed upon the pennants 41 and the viewer immediately connects the advertising slogans and the place of business or the like directly therebelow.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the'drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has, been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims are also desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

1. A kite comprising a mid rib, a cross arm connected centrally thereof to said mid rib at a location spaced toward one end of said mid rib, taut lines extending from one end of said mid rib to one end of said cross arm to the other end of said mid rib to the other end of said cross arm to the one end of said mid rib, a sail occupying a generally triangular shaped space with two edges of the sail secured respectively to the line portions between the other end of the mid rib and the ends of the cross arm, said sail having a third edge generally aligned with said cross arm, said sail including material of a greater width than the distance between the line portions to which said two edges are secured whereby said material cups on opposite sides of said mid rib to form a pair of generally part-conical shapes, the apices of which are at the other end of said mid rib.

2. A kite comprising a mid rib, a cross arm of somewhat lesser length than said mid rib, said cross arm being connected centrally thereof to said mid rib at a location spaced toward one end of said mid rib, a first line secured at its opposite ends to the opposite ends of said cross arm and holding said cross arm bowed, taut lines extending from one end of said mid rib to one end of said cross arm to the other end of said mid rib to the other end of said cross arm to the one end of said mid rib, a sail occupying a generally triangular shaped space with two edges of the sail secured respectively to the line portions between the other end of the mid rib and the ends of the cross arm, said sail having a third edge generally aligned with said cross arm, said sail including material of a greater width than the distance between the line portions to which said two edges are secured whereby said material cups on opposite sides of said mid rib to form a pair of generally part-conical shapes, the apices of which are at the other end of said mid rib, said sail being secured centrally of said third edge to said mid r'ib adjacent said cross arm.

3. A kite comprising a mid rib, a cross arm of somewhat lesser length than said mid rib, said cross arm being connected centrally thereof to said mid rib at a location spaced'toward one end of said mid rib, a first line secured at its opposite ends to the opposite ends of said cross arm and holding said cross arm bowed, taut lines extending from one end of said mid rib to one end of said cross arm to the other end of said mid rib to the other end of said cross arm to the one end of said mid rib, a sail occupying a generally triangular shaped space with two edges of the sail secured respectively to the line portions between the other end of the mid rib and the ends of the cross arm, said sail having a third edge generally aligned with said cross arm, said sail including material of a greater width than the distance between the line portions to which said two edges are secured whereby said material cups on opposite sides of said mid rib to form a pair of generally part-conical shapes, the apices of which are at the other end of said mid rib, said sail being secured centrally of said third edge to said mid rib adjacent to said cross arm, and a pennant and streamer secured to said first string and to the one end of said mid rib, respectively;

4. A kite comprising a mid rib, a cross arm of somewhat lesser length than said' mid rib, said cross arm being connected centrally thereof to said mid rib at a location spaced toward one end of said mid rib, a first line secured at its opposite ends to the opposite ends of said cross arm and holding said cross arm bowed, taut lines extending from one end of said mid rib to one end of said cross arm to the other end of said mid rib to the other end of said cross arm to the one end of said mid rib, a sail occupying a generally triangular shaped space with two edges of the sail secured respectively to the line portions between the other end of the mid rib and the ends of the cross arm, said sail having a third edge generally aligned with said cross arm, said sail including material of a greater width than the distance between the line portions to which said two edges are secured whereby said material cups on opposite sides of said mid rib to form a pair of generally part-conical shapes, the apices of which are at the other end of said mid rib, a branched tether line having one branch attached to the mid rib at the location of connection of said mid rib and cross arm and the other branch connected to the other end of said mid rib, said one branch being resilient.

5. A kite comprising a mid rib, a cross arm of somewhat lesser length thansaid mid rib, said cross arm being connected centrally thereof to said mid rib at a location spaced toward one end of said mid rib, a first line secured at its opposite ends to the opposite ends of said cross arm and holding said cross arm bowed, taut lines extending from one end of said mid rib to one end of said cross arm to the other end of said mid rib to the other end of said cross arm to the one end of said mid rib, a sail occupying a generally triangular shaped space with two edges of the sail secured respectively to the line portions between the other end of the mid rib and the ends of the cross arm, said sail having a third edge generally aligned with said cross arm, said sail including material of a greater width than the distance between the line portions to which said two edges are secured whereby said material cups on opposite sides of said mid rib to form a pair of generally part-conical shapes, the apices of which are at the other end of said mid rib, a branched leader line having one branch attached to the mid rib at the location of connection of said mid rib and cross arm and the other branch connected to the other end of said mid rib, said .one branch being resilient, and pennants and streamer secured to said first line and to the one end of said mid rib, respectively, and adapted to carry advertising indicia.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 96,550 11/1869 Clark 244-153 1,632,822 6/1927 Dahl 244-153 2,463,135 3/1949 Bach 244-153 2,537,560 1/1951 Wanner 244-153 3,153,877 10/1964 Efiinger 244-153 X OTHER REFERENCES NASA Technical Note D-1946, Full-Scale Wind- Tunnel Investigation of a Flexible-Wing Manned Test Vehicle, by J. L. Johnson et al., August 1963, pp. 28-32.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Examiner.

A. E. CORRIGAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A KITE COMPRISING A MID RIB, A CROSS ARM CONNECTED CENTRALLY THEREOF TO SAID MID RIB AT A LOCATION SPACED TOWARD ONE END OF SAID MID RIB, TAUT LINES EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF SAID MID RIB TO ONE END OF SAID CROSS ARM TO THE OTHER END OF SAID MID RIB TO THE OTHER END OF SAID CROSS ARM TO THE ONE END OF SAID MID RIB, A SAIL OCCUPYING A GENERALLY TRIANGULAR SHAPED SPACE WITH TWO EDGES OF THE SAIL SECURED RESPECTIVELY TO THE LINE PORTIONS BETWEEN THE OTHER END OF THE MID RIB AND THE ENDS OF THE CROSS ARM, SAID SAIL HAVING A THIRD EDGE GENERALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID CROSS ARM, SAID SAIL INCLUDING MATERIAL OF A GREATER WIDTH THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE LINE PORTIONS TO WHICH SAID TWO EDGES ARE SECURED WHEREBY SAID MATERIAL CUPS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID MID RIB TO FORM A PAIR OF GENERALLY PART-CONICAL SHAPES, THE APICES OF WHICH ARE AT THE OTHER END OF SAID MID RIB. 